Anyone know where i can find some old craftsman hammer/hatchet catalogs?

[Hickory n steel]

Recently here I saw a 60's catalog page which had a hatchet with a rubber overmold on a hickory handle.
I've got a hammertooth 20oz framing hammer ( it came with an octagonal handle which I believe was original ) but I've seen them same overmold handle , but a different stamp and a beveled face .

Anyways I'm trying to find some catalog pages so I can determine its age, all I really know is that it was made before that 60's catalog page was printed.

 

[Square_peg]

The Museum of History and Industry in Seattle has an almost complete set of Sears catalogs going back to around 1900. The Museum inherited them when Sears closed their Seattle distribution center. about 15 years ago. I believe there's another complete set in Chicago. Other than that you might check with your local library and see if they are available for an inter-library loan.

 

[Square_peg]

I checked my own archives of Sears catalog axe photos and came across a few hammers. Maybe this will help. The first image is from the Fall/Winter 1938/1939 catalog. My earlier photos didn't include any straight claw hammers that I would associate with a framing hammer.

Note the distinctive flat slope on the back of the claw.

This next photo is from the Fall/Winter 1942/1943 catalog. Note the modern curve on the back of the straight claw hammers.

If your hammer has the flat sloped claw you might suppose it is pre-42/43. If it has the curved claw you might suppose it is post-38/39. Hope this helps.

 

[Hickory n steel]

I checked my own archives of Sears catalog axe photos and came across a few hammers. Maybe this will help. The first image is from the Fall/Winter 1938/1939 catalog. My earlier photos didn't include any straight claw hammers that I would associate with a framing hammer.

Note the distinctive flat slope on the back of the claw.

This next photo is from the Fall/Winter 1942/1943 catalog. Note the modern curve on the back of the straight claw hammers.

If your hammer has the flat sloped claw you might suppose it is pre-42/43. If it has the curved claw you might suppose it is post-38/39. Hope this helps.

That might help, thanks.
This particular hammer has a rib under each claw, and one has a smaller nail puller built Into it.
Based on your catalog info and what I already know, I believe it's most likely From the 50's.
I do think that the framing hammers may have more curve to the claws than they appear to.

 

[Square_peg]

That paint color was used on 50's and 60's Craftsman tools.

 

[Hickory n steel]

That might help, thanks.
This particular hammer has a rib under each claw, and one has a smaller nail puller built Into it.
Based on your catalog info and what I already know, I believe it's most likely From the 50's.
I do think that the framing hammers may have more curve to the claws than they appear to.

FYI that's not exactly the original paint, there was a tiny bit of it left and I found a very close color of spray paint that I used. ( this also had a worn out milled face without the beveled edge, but I filed it smooth and beveled the edge myself ) the later examples I saw had a beveled edge.
Anyways based on your info , this has to have been made in the 50's.

Well thanks for the great Info everyone 👍👍 ( I previously had no luck on the tool forum I belong to as they dislike my fascination with hammers )

 

[rjdankert]

. . .
This particular hammer has a rib under each claw, and one has a smaller nail puller built Into it. . .

[/URL] I do think that the framing hammers may have more curve to the claws than they appear to.

I also wish I could find more Sears/Craftsman info. I have very little and nothing pre 1960 so what I have may not help. However there are a couple of similarities to your hammer. So FWIW.

1966 - Item #1 comes in 20 oz straight and has 3rd claw but with tubular steel handle. Item #4 has hickory handle w/leather grip - not octagonal and no 3rd claw. All apparently have the steel ribs under the claws.

1966 - Item #7 16 oz curved, no 3rd claw, hickory handle w/rubber grip but not octagonal.

1971 - all with 3rd claw and ribs.

It is interesting that the 3rd claw on yours is on the right claw. The ones in my catalog illustrations are on the left.

Bob

 

[Hickory n steel]

I also wish I could find more Sears/Craftsman info. I have very little and nothing pre 1960 so what I have may not help. However there are a couple of similarities to your hammer. So FWIW.

1966 - Item #1 comes in 20 oz straight and has 3rd claw but with tubular steel handle. Item #4 has hickory handle w/leather grip - not octagonal and no 3rd claw. All apparently have the steel ribs under the claws.

1966 - Item #7 16 oz curved, no 3rd claw, hickory handle w/rubber grip but not octagonal.

1971 - all with 3rd claw and ribs.

It is interesting that the 3rd claw on yours is on the right claw. The ones in my catalog illustrations are on the left.

Bob

That's still cool so thanks.
I had no clue that Vaughn's hickory plug technology for Steel handles was being used that long ago, I thought it was a very recent concept.
I'll probably never know 100% how old it is, but either way I'm glad my grandma found it for me for 1$ at a garage sale ( she also found me a germantown 1.5lb machinist hammer that I believe is turn of the century for 1$ )

Maybe the pictures just had the extra claw on the side that best showed it off, if so they probably all came on the same side as mine.

 

[Hickory n steel]

I love this hammer a lot, but never used it much because the link handle I hung it on was kinda fat.
Today I started thinking about how nice the original handle looked, so I decided to give it a half octagon and round off the butt.
Now it has some of its original identity back, and has a great feel, so much that I think this is gonna become my new favorite and go to claw hammer.

 

[Agent_H]

I have a drawer full of hammers but if that one was in there, I would grab it first.

 

[Hickory n steel]

That's what'll be happening from now on.
I really wish I had reprofiled the handle over a year ago.